Doug Sheehan Dies: ‘General Hospital’ & ‘Knots Landing’ Actor Was 75

Soap opera star Doug Sheehan has died at the age of 75. The actor died “peacefully at his home on Saturday morning, June 29, 2024, with his loving wife at his side,” according to an announcement published by the Kane Funeral Home in Big Horn, Wyoming. A cause of death was not revealed.

Sheehan made his onscreen debut in a 1978 episode of Charlie’s Angels. A year later, he joined the cast of General Hospital as Joe Kelly, who was romantically involved with Heather Webber and Bobbie Spencer. He was a series regular from 1979 to 1982 and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Daytime Drama Series.

Following his run on GH, Sheehan joined the cast of Knots Landing as Ben Gibson, a reporter who moved to the coastal Los Angeles suburb and became Val’s second husband. He appeared in over 100 episodes from 1983 to 1988.

He went on to star as Brian Harper in the sitcom Day by Day, which ran for two seasons on NBC. In the 1990s, he notably appeared as Mel Horowitz, Cher’s father, in the Clueless television series starring Rachel Blanchard, Elisa Donovan, Stacey Dash, and Donald Faison. He replaced Michael Lerner after the first season.

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In two episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch in 1999 and 2003, he played Edward Spellman, Sabrina’s (Melissa Joan Hart) father. He went on to guest star in Diagnosis: Murder and That Was Then before his last onscreen appearance in an episode of What I Like About You in 2003.

Sheehan made three film appearances over the course of his career. He played a police officer in the 1979 movie 10, a dancer in the 1982 film Victor/Victoria, and Bert Rogers in the 1995 film Cops n Roberts.

He was married to Cate Abert from 1981 until his death.